Moderator enthused by successful Church-backed addiction centre

Moving stories of how CrossReach is helping break the cycle of addiction were shared when the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland visited an Inverness facility last week.

Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson also had a tour of the new facility which will allow Beechwood House to extend its service beyond Highland Council area residents to those in Moray, the Northern Isles and Hebrides who are facing their addiction issues.

Beechwood House, situated close to the city's Raigmore Hospital, was one of a number of facilities operated by CrossReach, the Church of Scotland's social care arm, which Dr Paterson visited on his first official visit to Inverness.

He also visited Cameron House care home, which provides residential care to those affected by dementia, and Cale House, which provides safe and secure accommodation for people without a permanent home of their own for up to two years, and also met with others involved in CrossReach's Children's and Family Counselling Service.

Beechwood House has been providing support for Highland residents affected by alcohol or drug addiction since 1991.

Each resident has their own room with en-suite toilet and shower facilities, which are currently being upgraded, but they are encouraged to socialise and support each other in their journey to sobriety, and they are also supported by staff who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Dr Paterson began his visit by meeting staff and residents and hearing at first hand how Beechwood House was making a difference.

One resident told him he had been in Beechwood House for two weeks after quitting alcohol and drugs and already felt "brand new".

"Prison doesn't help you," he added. "There are more drugs in the jail than there are on the street."

Another resident who has since trained as a volunteer supporter said she was now "clean and serene" thanks to the support she had received at Beechwood House.

"If you are in here, you have got to work the programme," she said.

"I've given up alcohol and allowed God into me and it's been miracle after miracle."

A new facility for the North

Beechwood House manager Caroline Robertson then showed Dr Paterson around the facility, and explained that residents were at different stages of the 14-week residential course, enabling them to provide support to each other, with 95 per cent of residents completing the course, after which they will continue to be supported by the outreach worker.

The Moderator was also shown the new Highlands and Islands Residential Recovery Centre next to the existing facility which will welcome its first residents before the end of the year.

Funded by a £2.4 million award via the Scottish Government's Rapid Residential Rehabilitation Recovery Program, this will extend Beechwood's addiction recovery support across the North of Scotland from Moray to the Western Isles, as well as Orkney and Shetland, with six fully supported residential spaces. CrossReach is now actively recruiting to fill the staff vacancies in the new unit.

After touring the facility, Dr Paterson said: "I am more than impressed, I am enthused. They do a fantastic job here, but the message is not getting out. What they do here is being in the Church's name, but we don't shout about it.

"It really is truly remarkable, hearing the stories of the people who have been through the service. One chap reconnected with his son after coming to Beechwood House and another was able to reconnect with his grandson. Lives are being changed and not just the lives of the residents.

"I can't be enthusiastic enough."

He also praised the work of Beechwood's staff and the other CrossReach staff he had met on his visit to Inverness.

"There is a real dedication to what they do and they are doing this because they make a difference," he said.

During his visit, Dr Paterson also asked residents and staff what were the key issues which needed to be addressed to help tackle addiction.

Suggestions included more help with rehabilitation including more psychiatrists and doctors.

"A lot of people are dying with the lack of help, the lack of understanding," the Moderator was told.

"People have got to understand drug addicts and alcoholics and what makes them tick."

Dr Paterson promised to pass on their concerns.